Protected by Shelley Michaels Read Free Book Online

to the one hanging in my
wardrobe at home, except shorter.  Whether it’s the size differences in
the U.S or whether she has had it altered as such, it leaves very little to the
imagination.  My legs are good, without sounding egotistical, I know
this.  I am told this by every guy I have dated, plus the ones that want
to.  I put it down to the fact I am on my legs all day long in the salon.
My legs are strong, shapely and long.
    I had styled my hair so that the long
front section quaffed at my forehead, before applying my going out make - up, which involved a lot of liquid liner plus a layer of red
lipstick. 
    When I confided to the girls that I was a
hairdresser and beautician by trade, they had squealed their delight before
begging me to fix their already impeccable make-up.  They then made me
promise I would style their hair at a later date, preferably at a time when
they weren’t in a hurry to get to the bar before all the tables went.
    The bar was surprisingly trendy for a
small town, wooden floors with tall, black gloss café-type round tables next to
round stools, which sat tucked beneath. Everyone appeared to have dressed for
the occasion of it being a Thursday night, the women in short skirts or
dresses, the men in collared shirts teamed with their customary denim
jeans.  Thursday nights in Krystal are evidently a time to party.
    As soon as we entered, it seemed the
entire room turned to observe us. Feeling slightly self-conscious my eyes were
immediately drawn to a group of girls, who were busy waving and screeching to us
from across the floor.
    Ignoring the open glances of the
residence of Krystal, I follow Ellie as she weaved her way through the length
of the bar until we face four exquisitely pampered, extremely beautiful women. 
    Ellie introduces me to her friends, who
all appear to be friendly and welcoming towards me, despite the fact I am a
virtual stranger.  After a small while, I permit myself to relax and
quickly join in the various girlie discussions, with the aid of the alcohol
that seems to be flowing freely.  Someone orders a bottle of Tequila and
the fun and the Karaoke begins. 
    It isn’t until nine o’clock that I notice
the dirty blonde, plus Nate enter the noisy bar. Both of the men hold an aura
about them, the kind that alerts you to their presence the moment they hit a
room.  Women turn their heads in admiration and men chin lift in greeting
as they head straight to the bar to order their drinks, seemingly oblivious to
the turmoil around them. My eyes automatically move to Nate to absorb his
swagger. He has a way of moving that suggests total body confidence. Mind you
he has every right to be comfortable in his body; it’s stunning. 
    ‘Is that your boyfriend?’ I ask Ellie as
my gaze moves to Nate’s companion.
    ‘Yeah,’ she grins proudly, ‘that’s my
Eli, isn’t he adorable?’ She catches his eye and finger waves over to
him.  He provides her a wink, and I watch her almost melt.  ‘He’s
Nate’s ex-partner, before he moved to Denver,’ she elaborates, ‘we had murders
when we first got together, had to keep it from Nate, for a while.’ She turns
and rolls her eyes to the ceiling.  ‘He can be overpowering with those he
loves,’ she confesses. 
    ‘Was he mad?’ I query.
    She nods vigorously, as if mad doesn’t cover what he was, ‘but, as soon as he got we were serious about each
other, things calmed down some. Nearly wrecked their friendship though,’ she
smiles, regretfully.
    I nod in understanding as I return my
gaze to the two men that emitted an air of authority as they stood to lean on
the long bar as they assess the room.
    Nate’s eyes finally hit mine, and I watch
as he frowns his eyes stroking lazily down the length of my body, leaving me
sucking in a calming breath.
    ‘He seems to have a soft spot for you,’
Ellie confides, humour in her tone.
    ‘No,’ I scoff. ‘I am just a job to him,
apparently,’ I wave her suggestions away and